Anomaly
by Venoms Cross 2
Summary: Sometimes a friend is all you need, especially after a brutal breakup. Gumball finds himself in this exact situation in highschool. Will a certain ghost be able to change his mind? GumballxCarrie (Reupload from my old account)
1. Chapter 1

Gumball sat in solitude, reading his history textbook. Bricks of text explained the politics behind World War I, Which normally would have made anyone fall dead asleep but Gumball was enamored. History has become his favorite subject in Highschool.

Now at seven-teen years old, he had matured greatly. He stood at a tall 6' 3", and has bulked up during his Highschool years. His hair was longer, giving him an "Emo" look as it swooped over his left eye. He changed his attire too, wearing black jeans, black tennis shoes, a tee shirt with a white torso and red sleeves, and a beanie with an eye winking and the number 91 on it.

Yes, to any outsider this may not seem like the Gumball everyone once knew, but he changed. When Penny broke up with him in the middle of freshman year, as she had to move across the country for family reasons, he cried, he was angry, he was hurt, he was confused.

But he bettered himself. He got buffer, he dove into school and his grades improved. However, his social life had died. Him and Darwin were basically roommates now. Everyone else had changed, and he just split ways from them. Now he kept himself occupied as an aspiring musician, playing acoustic guitar and wanting to be spend other parts of his days at museums. This just further drove him to be an outcast from his schoolmates.

Gumball closed his textbook and sighed heavily. He was beyond tired and did _not _feel like going home. Home was toxic now, atleast to him. He stopped getting along with family when Penny left.

He slumped his backpack over his shoulder and walked slowly home, taking every detour possible. Gumball sat on the park bench, enjoying the beautiful October weather. A light breeze picked up and the scent of cinnamon passed him by. A smile grew on his face, and he closed his eyes just enjoying life for a small change.

"Well if I don't believe my eyes. Gumball Watterson, _smiling_."

His eyes shot open and saw where the words originated from. The tall ghost stood in front of him, smirking. "Gotta live a little Carrie," he smirked back at her.

She rolled her eyes and sat next to him. Carrie herself had matured a bit. Her breasts grew, she herself stood at 5' 11" and had some curves to her. She still kept her ghostly tail but if needed such as for sports she could switch to a tail. Carrie still kept her Emo status, but joined the volleyball team as she enjoyed that. She also was cut off by most, and mainly just stayed in her books. Carrie donned a white beanie and a dark blue tee-shirt, with a black and white open flannel on top. She kept some wristbands on depending on the day.

"So what're you up to?"

Gumball sat up straighter and put his leg over his knee, "Just the usual, school work and trying to take the first chance to get the hell out of here. What about you?"

Carrie smiled and lowered her head, "Same as you, just barely getting by."

He chuckled and shook his head. She stood up and smirked at him, "Well, I'd absolutely love to stay and chat, but I got shit to do. See ya around kiddo," she flashed a peace sign and teleported away.

Gumball smiled slightly and stood up. He stretched and yawned, looking at his surroundings. However, his thoughts were cut short by his stomach growling. '_Great, gotta waste more money on food,'_ he sighed and walked to Josie's Deli.

"Hey Gumball! The usual?" He nodded and sat in the corner. The friendly buffalo, Josie, smiled at him. "You getting along with everyone at school?"

He merely grunted in response. "Gumball, you gotta make friends. What's the point of living if you don't have someone to share experiences with?"

He shrugged, "The way I see it, school is merely for education, not for making friends."

Josie sighed and handed him his sandwich. "It's on the house. And Gumball you better start making friends or you'll be more miserable than ever!" She said those last words in an ominous tone and with a smile on her face. He chuckled and tipped his sandwich at her, "Thanks Josie. I'll see ya around."

He left and began eating slowly. He sat back on the park bench, eating in solitude and found solace in the tranquil urban setting around him.

He starting thinking on what Josie said. '_Maybe I should get some friends. Wouldn't hurt I don't think. Who knows what might happen._' His thoughts wrestled on Josie's message for the rest of the day. Gumball walked in late, about a quarter past midnight and woke up his dad on the couch.

Richard groggily raised his head. "Dad don't worry, it's Gumball." Richard gave a thumbs up and fell back asleep. Gumball chuckled and went up to his room. Darwin was asleep in his fish bowl, the room dark. He stripped to his boxers, went to the bathroom and did his nightly duties. He flopped onto his bed and passed out.

Gumball angrily pounded his alarm clock off. He groaned and sat up, scratching his head. His head felt fuzzy and found it difficult to wake up. '_Fucking hell'_ he stood up and stretched. He grabbed his clothes and a towel and hopped in the shower. As he walked by everyone's vacant rooms, he figured they were all downstairs.

He put on some hot water and climbed into the shower. The water felt good on his fur. He cleaned himself and brushed his teeth and got dressed. There was a pounding on the door as he was putting his pants on, "GUMBALL WATTERSON YOU BETTER OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT THIS INSTANT!". His mother was going to nearly bust down the door.

He sighed and slipped into a shirt and walked out, "All yours." He said this monotone and walked past everyone. He grabbed his backpack and walked to school. There were dead leaves on the ground and the trees were looking barren. The school bus went by as well as the rest of his class. He kept on walking, enjoying the nice weather.

He barely made it in to school on time, which had been a theme for him. Gumball sat in the back of the class, spacing out as the teacher went on about organic compounds.

Organic chemistry flew by, as did art and pre-calculus. The days seemed to melt into each other and Gumball felt as if he were just going through the motions.

At lunch, he sat outside alone. He merely just picked at his food. Josie's sandwiches were the only thing he wanted to eat and was willing to eat. He sighed and pushed his food away.

"Gumball?"

He looked up and saw Carrie with a slightly worried look on her face. "Are you okay? You shouldn't skip meals."

He sighed, "Yeah I'm good, just not hungry." He stood up and collected his things. "If you need a friend or someone to talk to, I'm always here for you Gumball." When he turned around she hugged him and whispered, "I know what it's like to be depressed and have no one around."

The bell for last class rang. Gumball stood confused, and watched her disappear into the school. How did she know? It's not like she saw the scars, or was there when it happened. Had she been inside his mind or something?

Gumball shook his head and went inside. Gumball would rather watch paint dry than go through another literature class.

'_Thank fuck the school day is over,'_ he joyfully thought to himself as everyone left the building in a rush. He stayed behind so he could be alone. His mind soon back tracked to what Carrie said today.

"_I do _too _smile, just not often and not at the things everyone else enjoys,_" he thought to himself. He meandered around the grounds and eventually found himself back at Josie's Deli. He whistled as he came and his favorite buffalo greeted him.

"You seem chipper today."

Gumball smirked slightly and took a seat, "Well, I might be making a friend, well she's more of an acquaintance."

Josie's smiled at him and pulled his hat off playfully, ruffling his hair, "That's great! See I told you making friends would you happier."

Gumball laughed and straightened his hair. He pulled out some money, "How about a rueben today?" He put his beanie on and looked at Josie.

She took the money and smiled, "Totally Gumball. It'll be out in a minute!" She turned and started making his sandwich.

Gumball just swiveled around in his chair until she finished. He noticed at how little people were in the deli today, usually Josie's was a hot spot after school hours. However, he shrugged and chalked it up to the cooler weather. More people wanted hot drinks this time of year.

His thoughts were snapped away when a bell sounded and a sandwich was placed on the counter. "All yours Gumball." She smiled at him as he picked it up. "Thanks Josie, you're a life saver," he said as he smiled back at her.

He walked on, eating his sandwich and enjoying the air. He smiled, and muttered to himself "Damn she makes a good sandwich."

"Do my eyes beseech me or is Gumball smiling _two _days in a row? I think I need to call the local asylum and tell them they have a new patient."

He jerked his head to see the smirking face of a ghost. He smirked and shook his head, "You know I'm just starting to enjoy life again."

She smiled and walked up to him, "Maybe so, but teasing you is still fun as much as it was in middle school."

Gumball smiled and lowered his head. Yes, middle school was definitely his blunder years. "Ha ha, very funny. You know, middle school wasn't kind to you either."

She giggled and playfully punched his arm as they continued walking and talking. Inside his head, Gumball smiled and thought "_Is Carrie my friend now?" _

Soon they reached a rather gloomy looking house, and Carrie looked down. "Well, this is my house," she muttered, but Gumball failed to detect the hint of sadness in her voice.

He smiled and chirped, "Well damn! I didn't mean to keep you busy and talk your ears off."

She smiled up at him, "You know, as much as i still tease you, it was nice walking home with you Gumball."

Gumball smiled and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her eyes. They were grey, but even though she was a ghost, they were full of life. He dismissed his heart and spoke, "Yeah, it was nice. We should totally do it more!"

Carrie giggled and waved to him, "Well, see you tomorrow Gumball."

He smiled and watched her go into her house. When the door closed, he turned on his heels and headed home. He soon realized he was still smiling.

"Huh, maybe I am smiling too much."

The next day rolled around, and Gumball was less enthused than the day before. Being an office aide for his first class was a little sucky, but today everyone needed something so he was kept busy. He had history today, which excited him, but today he was having trouble focusing. It was like his mind was elsewhere, thinking of things out yonder in the unknown.

Astronomy came and went like the decaying leaves outside. At lunch, he sat alone again at a bench. He sighed and looked at his food. He didn't want it. Today was a slightly off day to him. He scratched at his scars and rolled his sleeves down more. He was too embarrassed about his pain.

"Mind if I join you?"

He looked up to see big, pleading, grey eyes.

He smiled and slid down the bench a little bit, patting to the seat next to him. "Totally, unfortunately I gotta move some meetings around to fit you in."

She smirked and nudged him playfully. "With an attitude like that, no wonder you're so smart. In fact, I'd say you're a smart ass." Carrie giggled and smirked at him as she sat next to him.

The two made their talk, Carrie ate some of her food while Gumball had a small nibble. She frowned slightly when the lunch bell rang signaling the time for the last class.

"Gumball you hardly ate," she said, with a slight hint of concern in her voice.

Gumball smiled and reassured her, "Carrie, I'm okay. I'll get something at Josie's Deli like I normally do after school."

She huffed at him and sling her bag over her shoulder. "At least eat a little more at school. It wouldn't hurt you know. You need energy to keep up."

He sighed and nodded, "I'll try, but only because you're my friend."

Carrie looked up, beaming. So they _had _become friends now!

He smiled at her and they parted ways for their last class, French for Gumball and Chemistry for Carrie.

True to his word, Gumball has acquired another sandwich from Josie's and was on his way home. He bumped into his little ghost friend.

"Carrie!" He smiled and waved at her as she was crossing the street. She smiled and made her walk brisk, smiling at him. "Hey Gumball!" She said, her sweet tone flew over the cats head. He was missing a lot of underlying tones from her.

The two walked and talked as they had before. He walked her home and walked back to his house. He went to his room and turned on his music, a little bit of Wink-91 to help him collect himself.

He looked out his window and reflected on the past few days. He went from a social outcast to having a friend! What was that all about?

He realized, also, that he hadn't thought of Penny since. He winced at her name, and rubbed his arm. The breakup between the two was not pretty, nor was their closure. It was heated, and toxic. The two needed to mature, unfortunately they didn't know it until Penny had to move and all the issues with each other they kept secret from each other were revealed.

He sighed and turned on the song "Anomaly", by Airwaves and Angels. He flung himself back on his bed and closed his eyes. He felt like an anomaly, like no one understood his pain or what he was going through.

His eyes burst open at Carrie's words. "_I know what it's like to be depressed and have no one around._" Should he open up to her about his pain? Should he keep quiet? There were two storms battling in his head for the rest of the day, until he soon fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Gumball stretched and opened his eyes. Was it Thursday? No, he shook his head. It was Saturday. Was it? That's right, it was. The king day of the week. The day where worries go away and it's all about the self.

Or so he thought.

Gumball got up and showered, making sure to put his face under the faucet directly to ensure a secure wake up.

He eventually got out and dried himself off, dressing himself in his usual attire. He slipped out of the house, undetected by his family.

Actually, did he consider them his family? Gumball pondered that as he walked around. Him and his family had all drifted over the years, himself feeling especially ostracized.

Oh well, it was a nice day.

It was late October, Halloween just a few days away. Sadly it was during the school week, a Tuesday no less. What kind of person throws a bomb ass Halloween party on a Tuesday?

He shrugged and sat on a bench. He watched the denizens of Elmore walk by. Larry switching uniforms for his various jobs, Tobias and Joe walking to the local pizza joint, all seemed normal.

Yet, he felt alone.

Granted, Gumball was used to feeling alone. The pain of his breakup was a devastating toll on the cat. He placed himself in a social exile, thinking that school work and personal recreation would distract him. In fact in had for the most part.

But right now, he felt alone. And he didn't like this alone. His mind wandered as to why he felt alone. Was it because he was missing Darwin? No, Darwin joined the jocks after becoming a basketball star and track star in high school. Was it his absence of a loved one?

He mentally slapped himself, showing a scowl in person. He didn't need that. Gumball Watterson did _not _need love. Nor did he want it.

He mentally cursed and got up and started walking again. It helped rid his head of silly thoughts like that.

He sat again on a different bench, taking in the beautiful scenery. He smiled to himself, enjoying the nice autumn smells and cool air.

"You know, it isn't healthy to smile as much as you have been lately."

He broke his smile and looked at the source of the voice. Of course.

"You know, some of us are starting to enjoy life." His retort earned a snicker, only from himself though.

Carrie rolled her eyes and moved next to him. "What're you up to Gumball?"

He just shrugged as they walked together. "Just walking and thinking, trying to enjoy how nice today is."

Carrie nodded and smiled slightly. She was glad to see him doing better after the biggest breakup in high school. Everyone knew about it, mostly because of how public it was, then it became gossip. She brutally dumped him on her last day of school freshman year. They had been together two years, and she didn't even cry or show emotion. It was robotic in how she did it. Her heart ached for Gumball after that. He didn't talk sophomore year at all. Not a single word. He ostracized himself from everyone, he felt alone and vulnerable and she did not like that.

She sighed internally. Poor Gumball. They were both juniors now, and he at least opened up to her.

"You know Carrie, there's a new record store in town I wanted to go to, did you wanna come with?"

She looked up at him. He smiled, and it seemed sincere. His eyes were very inviting. She nodded with a big smile. "Totally! Hopefully there's some new records of Acidic Quartet!"

He smiled. Huh, who knew she liked them too.

Eventually, they found themselves at Guy's Records. '_Strange name_' Gumball thought, for the store that is.

They walked in, and boxes and boxes of records were in front of them. Carrie zoomed to the punk section, while Gumball waltzed himself around, looking through all the genres. Except country, he couldn't stand it.

Carrie shrieked when she found Acidic Quartets newest album. She hugged it with a big smile. Gumball smiled internally at her, thinking how cute she looked.

A record scratched somewhere. '_Did I just think Carrie is cute?_' He felt his face heat up and he turned away, looking in the Classical music section. He flipped through, recognizing a few big names like Schoenberg and Liszt but nothing jumped at him.

He meandered back to the punk section, looking through and getting excited over the albums of his favorite bands. Alas, they were all out of his price range. "50 bucks for a record? Online I go," he muttered to himself as he turned towards Carrie.

She smiled giddily as she walked up to him. "Find anything?"

He sighed and stuffed his paws in his pockets. "Yeah but too expensive. I'll just go to a thrift store or online."

She pouted. "Well come on! I have a record player at home, we can listen to the album I bought together!" She said as she grabbed his paw and drug him out of there.

He chuckled inwardly. Maybe it was a good thing he and Carrie are friends.

The two began the trek back to Carrie's house. It was a smooth walk, very placid and the weather was definitely friendly to them today. The duo walked, but a bit closer than friends. Unbeknownst to them, sparks were starting to fly between them.

"Man I'm hungry, you hungry?"

Carrie nodded slightly. "Yeah, I could eat."

Gumball smirked slightly, "Lucky for us, were near Giuseppe's Parlor and Diner, let's get some Italian."

Carrie smiled and nodded. "Totally!"

Gumball led Carrie inside, holding the door for her which she made a mental note of. The host took them to a table that overlooked the canal. Small lights were strewn around the restaurant, with the overhead lights turned low. It was quite romantic in all actuality. The two didn't notice that as they were deep in conversation and lost in each other's eyes.

Gumball has ordered the garlic chicken Parmesan, while Carrie went with a gnocchi soup. It was very nice, both dishes were rich and creamy. Definitely worth the moderate price.

"Want to try mine?" Gumball offered.

Carrie smiled, and held a spoon out with soup. "Try mine."

The two fed each other, and soon finished their meal. Gumball paid for it all and left a nice tip. He looked at the clock as they were leaving, it read 9:30.

"Yikes, sorry if that took up too much of your time." Gumball said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

Carrie smiled and blushed, "It was very nice Gumball. Thank you for a good night." She gave him a gentle hug, which he returned. '_Odd, this feels...right. Or something. I don't know. I don't like this feeling.'_ Gumball kept his thoughts to himself, but he was smiling wide.

"You mind if I walk you home, madame?" Gumball said in a goofy voice and bowed. Carrie giggled and held her arm out, "My lord that would be most appreciated." The two laughed and he took her arm, walking her back to her home. They remained quiet this time, just enjoying each other's presence as the day was drawing to an end.

Eventually, they reached her house. Carrie turned to face him with a smile. "Gumball, I appreciate it tonight. I won't forget it." She gently rose up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, waved, and went inside.

Gumball froze up when she did that, only her door closing snapped him back. He liked that. He liked that a lot. That was awesome!

He silently cheered to himself as he walked back to his house. Carrie watched him, peeking through a curtain. She smiled wide and blushed deep, they were making progress.

That night, Gumball tossed in his sleep.

'_What do you mean you _moved _on? Gumball I thought we were gonna last forever!' Penny whined. She had come back from California, and Gumball has finally moved on. He was with Carrie. Very happy with Carrie, and it was after senior year graduation. _

'_Penny, you ruthlessly ripped my heart out. How could you think I'd take you back?' Gumball retorted and took a small, protective step in front of Carrie. _

_Penny grew mad, and got in his face. 'You asshole. You don't think I was hurting after I dumped you? You don't think I missed you? You're fucked if you think I was fine and dandy.' _

The dream played on, and Gumball tossed and turned all night. It was a day he hoped never happened. He never wanted to see her again.

It was 10:43, Sunday, October 29th. Gumball did _not _feel well whatsoever. His dream had branded itself in his head. Of _course _this was a dream he wouldn't forget.

He groaned and rolled over, looking out the window. Rain started to pitter against the window pane. He sighed and pulled the covers over his head. "I wish I could skip today," he muttered to himself.

He managed to get up and shower, at 3:15 in the afternoon. He took a long hot shower to rid himself of last nights demons. Or at least he tried to. Slowly but surely Penny was vacating his mind.

He got dressed in just a plain white tee shirt and grey sweatpants today. It was a bum day for sure.

He flopped himself onto his bed and pulled a book out from underneath. The title was '_The Jungle', _a book about the history of the Amazon. He just opened the book when his mom called to him.

"Gumball! Someone's here to see you!"

He sighed and grumbled to himself, tossing his book to the side and trudging downstairs. His tired and lazy look earned a small glare from his mother but no one noticed.

When he looked up, he cracked a half smile. Carrie stood at his door with a big smile.

"Hey," Gumball said, '_Weird, I feel funny..' _his thoughts started to race.

"Well Carrie come on in! We don't want you standing out there forever, now do we?" Nicole said as she ushered Carrie in, the last bit with a bit of force in it.

Gumball nodded. "Yeah! Sorry for my look, i wasn't feel up to anything today." Carrie smiled slightly, "It isn't a big deal, you still look fine."

The two smiled at each other, and Gumball noticed that his mom left the room. He thanked her in his head. "So what did you want to do today?"

Carrie shrugged, "I'm not sure. I think tonight is open mic at Brutus' Brew House. Did you wanna go there?" (**AN: this brew house is a coffee house in this story)**.

Gumball shrugged, "Sure! Let me go change. You can come upstairs too if you wanna." He motioned for her to follow as he headed up to his room. She blushed slightly and floated up after him.

The duo entered Gumball's room, and he began to change his clothes. When he took his shirt off, Carrie turned away, blushing.

"Give a warning dude!" She teased, although she would rather look at him.

"Ha ha, very funny," he said as he threw his shirt at her. She batted it to the floor, and looked at his back as he rummaged for his usual clothes in his closet. '_He's so dreamy, his shoulders are muscular! Whatever happened to the scrawny ruht from middle school?' _

Carrie was lost in thought, until Gumball snapped his finger. "Hey skippy, I'm ready. You all there?" Carrie shook her head and smiled. "Yeah! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and nearly drug him down the stairs and out of the house. Gumball smiled, and felt his face heat up. '_Oh no, I'm getting a crush on Carrie._'

The two soon arrived at Brutus' Brew House. It was small, but quaint. A brick structure, and very welcoming.

Gumball opened the door and smirked, "For the lady." Carrie rolled her eyes and walked in. The two entered and found a place to sit, a small table with two chairs. The hostess went up the mic and began explaining the event for the night, open mic, and it soon went underway. Many faces came and went, some singing, some just performing instruments, others reciting poetry.

At the end, volunteers were taken. Gumball was staring at Carrie, unbeknownst how enamored he was feeling. He raised his hand and smirked, "Yeah, I'll give it a try."

The hostess smiled and welcomed him to the stage while everyone clapped. Carrie smiled and looked at him.

"This one, is dedicated to a very special lady. She knows who she is," he winked at Carrie as she blushed deeply. He continued, "This is called 'Girl from the North Country' by Bob Dylan."

He soon pulled up the music and began singing. His voice smoothly sounded original to the music, as if he wrote it himself. Gumball had his eyes closed, and only opened them to look at Carrie. He poured emotion and passion into his words, and by the time he was done, the whole coffee shop was clapping and whistling. Nothing, however, could peel Gumball's eyes away from Carrie, and Carrie's eyes from Gumball.

Afterwards, the two were walking outside. Blushes were deep on their faces as the two silently trekked to Carrie's house. Carrie was walking very close to Gumball, which was noticed by him. Eventually, they made it to her house. She sighed and faced him.

"Tonight was fun. I felt alive."

Gumball smiled at her, "Me too, it's been a long time since I've had this much fun."

The two just stared into each other's eyes. Sparks were soaring around the two, and hormones were going rabid. Carrie smiled and began to walk inside. "Goodnight Gumball."

"Hey Carrie?" He said. "What's up?"

Gumball pulled her to him and kissed her deeply and with passion, passion that was trapped in for years. She returned it with as much passion. She let her weight lean into him as he wrapped his arms around her and they continued their kissing. Gumball could feel himself getting more worked up, as did Carrie. After a full two minutes, they pulled apart. They stared intently into their eyes.

"Goodnight Carrie."

"Goodnight Gumball."

She smirked and kissed his cheek. She swayed her hips as she walked up to her door. Her hips and ass had definitely caught his eye. She smirked at him before sliding into her house.

Gumball sighed and smiled. "Damn, that was AWESOME!" He cheered, he felt _great_! He was whooping all along his way home and was on cloud nine.

Carrie too felt the same way. The boy she longed for basically confessed his feelings for her, in song and by being physical no less! She felt her heart flutter as she laid in bed.

Yes, for both of them, the day had been one of their best.

**AN: Yes finally, sparks soar! I know it's soon and only the second chapter, but damn I just wanted them to finally do it. And I did keep my word, this is out before the end of the year! Hurray! Hopefully next chapter is before my spring break? It most likely will be, but who knows. Anywho, read and review as always! Let me know what y'all think. I'm really liking this story and how it's turned out so far. I'll see y'all around **


	3. Chapter 3

Gumball woke up, finding himself in a knot of his blankets. It was Halloween, a day where he didn't feel so lonely as everyone else dressed towards his attitude.

He performed his morning ritual, and made his way downstairs. Darwin and Anais were already out of the house, his mom at work and dad sleeping on the couch. '_Atleast there's consistency here_,' Gumball thought to himself as he grabbed a banana.

He peeled the fruit and began eating it, contemplating on whether he should go to school. "I'm already up late, and the school day is halfway over. Why bother?"

Then it struck him. Carrie. He should see her after Saturday. The two had been texting but haven't seen each other since then.

He really wanted to see her. Gumball somehow missed her. '_You need to get a grip of yourself. Remember: you don't need or want love._'

The thought though made his knees a little weak. Carrie has turned that around.

He cursed to himself and made his way outside. The last day of October. Decorations were up, pumpkins carved, the smell of cinnamon was in the air, a slight breeze that didn't make it cool but felt really good, oh yeah.

"This is living right here," Gumball said to himself with a smile. He began eating his banana and took a walk down the sidewalk. It was times like this that reminded him of when he was a kid, when things were simple and the world wasn't so confusing.

Gumball stopped at a street bench and sat down, watching the world go by. "Man, I'm bored," he complained to himself as he slid down the bench. His mind started to wander to various things, food then to music then to school then to Carrie.

Wait.

"Carrie?" He spoke aloud. He facepalmed and sighed. He really wanted to see her. '_I'm really falling for her, aren't I?'_

It was rather odd his mind shifted to her, atleast to him it was. He put his head in his hands and sighed. "What am I gonna do?"

He sat up and relaxed, counted to ten and took a deep breath. "Just see where it goes," he muttered to himself, a small smile creeping on his face.

He checked the time, 1:47. School would be out soon, he could go wait for Carrie to get out. His thoughts were cut short as rain lightly began to fall.

"Damn, guess I should go somewhere." He decided to just go home. Today was an off day anyways and he didn't feel like tolerating people today.

When he walked back in, he saw Anais doing her homework which made him smile. Gumball, although he hardly said it, was glad that Anais was pursuing academics still. She was brilliant and Gumball found himself wishing he was as smart as she.

He went upstairs and laid on his bed. He was about to fall asleep when he got a phone call. It was from Carrie.

"_G-Gumball?"_

He sat up, her voice sounded a little frantic. "Yes, I'm here. Are you okay?"

Gumball heard her take a deep breath.

"_Can you come over to my place?"_

He noted that she sounded very upset but a little hopeful. "Yes, I'll be there ASAP!"

She thanked him and hung up. Gumball got dressed and made his way out the door and to Carries house. He knocked on the door and Carrie answered.

"Hey you alright?" She hugged him quickly which made his cheeks slightly pink.

He could feel wet marks on his shirt from where she had been crying. He sat her down on the porch and got her to speak. Apparently, rumor was going around that Gumball was only speaking to her to have sex with her then just ghost and never speak to her again which greatly upset our ghost greatly. It would shatter her world if he did that.

"Listen Carrie, i'm not hanging out with you for anything like that. I really enjoy our time together, I do. You make me feel… I don't know different. Like things are going to be alright, that there's still a blue sky above the grey clouds." He stared in her eyes as he spoke to make sure the message got across.

Eventually he stopped talking and the two just stared, unknowingly their hands had become interlocked.

"Hey, wanna go get some food?"

Carrie giggled, Gumball always seemed to want food. She dried her face and stood up, or stood up as to how a ghost can stand I suppose.

"Totally!" She grabbed his hand and they walked to the local pizza joint.

Neither of them noticed each other's blushes on their faces, and neither noticed they were still holding hands.

They were seated and had merriment between each other, telling stories and jokes to each other. Carrie forgot all about the rumors being spread. But Gumball didn't and was wondering why it upset her so much.

"Hey Carrie?"

"What's up?"

Gumball sighed and looked at her. "Why were you so upset about that rumor?"

She seemed to freeze. Her mind went blank. "Um, I don't know…" Her voice trailed off.

Gumball decided not to press more into the issue. Their food has arrived and they began to enjoy it greatly.

They left the restaurant a little while later. The two were really enjoying each other and once again their hands had found a way to connect.

"I really enjoyed that Gumball. Thanks for helping me get my mind off today."

Gumball just have a goofy grin, "No worries! I'm glad to see you're doing better!"

The two were walking and found themselves near the canals. The canal district was a bit more out of their price range, but there was a plethora of fine shops and eateries down the canal.

Gumball froze when he thought he saw something. No, he _knew _he saw it. He had no question about it, he recognized it from anywhere.

Carrie gave him a worried look and turned to face him, "Hey, Gumball, you okay?"

Gumball shook his head and smiled. "Yeah, no worries!"

They kept walking and talking, enjoying the sights and sounds and smells. A small band was playing outside and the two sat on a nearby bench and just took it all in.

"Hey Carrie?" Gumball turned to look towards her. She met his gaze. Everything seemed perfect, the location, the lighting, the music, the weather, it's like it was just written out for them.

"Yes Gumball?" She said, barely above a whisper. Gumball said nothing as he leaned in and gently kissed her. It was brief, but he kept his face close to hers. Their eyes in a battle of dominance, both showing fiery passion wanting to come out.

Gumball simply smirked and scooted closer to her, facing towards the canal on the bench and wrapped an arm around her. Carrie sighed and leaned into him.

"Hey, you know it's Halloween."

"Huh, so it is."

"Aren't ghosts supposed to be haunting people on this day?"

"Ha ha, very funny Gumball."

"Hey now, I think that was funny."

Carrie simply smiled at him, "That's because you find everything funny."

Gumball smirked and rolled his eyes. "You enjoy it."

Carrie merely blushed and didn't say anything. The two just enjoyed the moment together. Yes, it was perfect for them. Nothing could really make it worse.

But hey, this is a story, and I, the author, have free reign.

"Hey Carrie, do you wanna-"

"Gumball?"

The two turned and saw Darwin, the lovable, middle Watterson, who looked crushed at the sight before him. His best friend and the girl he once loved (and still did love), were cuddled up together and holding hands on what looked to be a romantic date.

"What is this?"

Gumball stood up, he could feel the air get more tense and hostility take over Darwin.

"I said, what is this?"

"Dude, relax."

Darwin looked _very _cross. Gumball knew he still wasn't over Carrie. Speaking of the ghost, she stood up too, still holding Gumball's hand and hiding behind him a small bit.

Darwin walked right up to Gumball and got in his face. Gumball formed a fist in his free hand.

"Just, fuck you man." Darwin walked away, sadness taking over his voice. Gumball could feel the bond with his adoptive brother fall apart right then and there.

"Gumball?" She gently squeezed his hand. Gumball hung his head and sat down.

"It's okay Gumball, it's going to be okay. You're alright."

Gumball simply hugged her and cried.

**AN: I know this took a while to get out and it's not very long, I apologize for that. I'm going through a rough patch right now so chapters will be slow, I apologize for that as well. I am very determined to finish this story. I have a one shot in the works that was requested. I promise to make the next chapter longer. Till then, read, review, and enjoy**


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